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Warner Bros. Japan began streaming a short web version of the teaser trailer for the live-action film of Hiroaki Samura's Blade of the Immortal "neo period drama" manga on Thursday. The teaser introduces the film's cast. The film's official website is streaming a second, full version of the teaser with more footage, including dialogue.

Short Web Version:

Text: 2017

Text: April 29

Text: Opening Confirmed

Text: Starring Takuya Kimura

Text: Hana Sugisaki

Text: Sota Fukushi

Text: Hayato Ichihara

Text: Erika Toda

Text: Ebizo Ichikawa

Text: Director: Takashi Miike

Text: Blade of the Immortal

Text: Go to the official website for the full version!

The full version of the teaser features a preview of the climactic scene with Manji and Rin surrounded by 300 enemies. He asks her, "Rin, who should I cut down?" Rin replies, "Anyone who tries to cut me down."

The manga follows Manji's journey of revenge as the yōjinbō (bodyguard) of Rin, a young woman who swears vengeance against a group of sword fighters who murdered her parents.

Prolific filmmaker Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Yatterman, As the Gods Will, Crows) is directing the film. Filming took place in Kyoto in extremely cold weather, and the climax of Manji and Rin versus 300 enemies took about 15 days to shoot. The film will open in Japan on April 29.

Samura launched the Blade of the Immortal manga in Kodansha's Monthly Afternoon magazine in December of 1993, and he completed the series in 2012. The manga's 30 volumes have 5 million copies in print, and the series has been published in 22 countries and territories. The manga earned an Excellence Prize in the manga category of the 1st Japan Media Arts Festival Awards in 1997, and it won the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material in 2000. The manga is getting a reprint in Japan with new covers.

Dark Horse Comics published the Blade of the Immortal manga in North America, and plans to rerelease it in omnibus form. The manga already inspired a television anime in 2008, and Media Blasters released it in English. The manga also inspired a stage play in February that starred Tomokazu Seki, who reprised his role from the anime as Manji.

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